


Now your mess is mine

by Livvinamess



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Courting Rituals, Fluff, It's plotless fluff I'm sorry, M/M, Misunderstandings, Omega Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Omega Qian Kun, maybe idk, omega/omega relationships I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:55:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23906524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Livvinamess/pseuds/Livvinamess
Summary: Ten was courting him.Courting him like an omega would court a beta, and that was a problem, because Kun wasn't one.He was just born broken.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun
Comments: 12
Kudos: 321
Collections: Kpop Writers - Spring Exchange 2020





	Now your mess is mine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EliKat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliKat/gifts).



> Surprise, this is for you!  
> When I received the prompts I was a little hesitant because I feel like you were asking for angst, so if you were, forgive me, you got stuck with my ass that can only write fluff.  
> I had a lot of fun with this, it practically had a mind of its own, I'm really nervous about whether or not you are going to like it, though.  
> I hope you do.  
> Title's from Mess is Mine by Vance Joy, I kept listening to that while writing.  
> Anyways, enjoy!

Qian Kun was boring.

That was something he understood, something he had learned to live with ever since he was a child.

He was born broken, even if he still was subjected to the rules of his own dynamic he did not carry the scent that made everyone else so interesting, so faint and weak it could be nonexistent for all he cared.

Everything was so predictable about him it was _boring._

He worked at a bookstore for the love of god, quiet and hidden away by the buildings, a safe little heaven from the rush of the city, a job he loved but in the end still made him so incredibly boring compared to everyone else.

He never stood out from a crowd.

How was he supposed to impress when all he did was work around silent pages of old books? When all he did was study?

How was he supposed to impress when he couldn’t appeal to anyone without carrying a scent?

Broken and boring, that was his life, that was all there was to it.

So he really couldn’t understand what Ten was doing lately, why he seemed interested in someone as plain as Kun.

The first time it happened, he had been too sleep deprived to even notice the meaning of the actions let alone consider them suspicious.

He had been out with Ten and Yangyang, eating some ice-cream the youngest had insisted on having even when it was freezing cold outside, Ten had wrapped a rough yarn knitted scarf around Kun’s neck that afternoon, something the older had attributed to him being kind enough to give it to Kun since he had a runny nose and had forgotten to pick a jacket.

The scarf had smelled so much like Ten, and scenting among them wasn’t uncommon, Kun’s little pack had taken Ten in as their own even when it wasn’t official, so it had been a really normal occurrence, surprising, maybe, with Ten even telling him to keep it afterwards.

With Kun finding out later that Ten had knitted the scarf himself.

It hadn’t felt odd, out of place.

Just Ten being nice for once in his life.

But then it happened again.

Kun had been cooking something for Dejun, who had been sick that day, unable to even stand, Ten being there as moral support, making sure Dejun didn’t pass out alone in his room, keeping Kun company while he finished.

The smell of cinnamon had been strong that day, powerful and borderline spicy but never going far from the sweetness in it, a cinnamon Kun was so accustomed of smelling whenever Ten was around for he showcased his scent proudly.

And while trying to finish dessert, he had accidentally knocked over the nutmeg jar Dejun kept with the other spices, it was almost as strong as Ten’s cinnamon, and Kun found himself covered on it.

Ten had joked, about both scents smelling good together, which Kun had just shrugged off as more teasing over Kun’s lack of one, but not even two days later Ten dropped by to his house holding a bottle of perfume.

Nutmeg scented one.

Which was...odd.

Definetly.

Because Kun didn’t have a scent, so Ten giving him perfume could be misinterpreted as offensive, it was like telling him he smelled because body fluids, and he was pretty sure he didn’t smell bad, he showered regularly.

Though Kun was sure it wasn’t related to that.

He had an inkling, but his mind squashed those thoughts as soon as they surfaced.

There was no way something like that could happen to him.

The strange behavior kept repeating over the next few days, with Ten dropping by his work to gift him something else, usually wrapped carefully in some kind of fabric Kun was sure Ten was scenting purposefully, with Ten staying later than usual around him, making his nights hell but a lot more fun.

It was odd, and Kun wasn’t stupid despite how much Yangyang liked to tease him about it.

So he knew.

He knew the behavior was hinting at _something_ , something Kun allowed himself to think about only at night, when it was just him and his many pillows, the dark protecting his little heart from getting too hurt, too hopeful.

Kun saw the signs.

But why would he pay attention to them? He was boring, broken, nobody would willingly commit to something like that.

He saw the signs, but in attempts of saving himself the inevitable heartbreak, he decided to push those thoughts away, the ones that screamed so loudly about how obvious Ten was being, the ones that were, in the end, just his inner hopeless romanticist talking.

Turned out, after all, Yangyang had been right.

Kun really was stupid.

The bookstore was quiet, as always, there was no surprise in that,they were closed for the day, the door locked and almost all of the lights turned off except for a little yellow one that made the entire place feel cozier, surrounded by old books and while sitting together behind the counter.

It was the lack of laughter usually following that kind of statement that made the silence a lot more startling.

Kun was smiling, in hopes of catching the joke at some point, but Ten looked so serious in front of him, his eyebrows raised expectantly, waiting for Kun to take the container of food Ten had so carefully prepared, propped against his legs wrapped in a bundle of fabric that Kun could smell from where he was seating.

_Cinnamon and spice._

His smile fell, along with his heart.

Because he had been right then, to find the behavior odd.

But if it really was what he thought, then that could only mean one thing.

And his heart wasn’t ready to hear it.

‘’Is it really for me?’’ Kun asked carefully, his voice coming out high-pitched and shaky, too busy panicking to even care about it, because the container of food was for _him_ , Ten had prepared him food, had gotten out of his way to cook for Kun, was sitting next to him on the floor behind the counter of the bookstore, waiting for Kun to take it.

Ten furrowed his eyebrows. ‘’Woah, Kun,’’ He deadpanned, and his tone was teasing, but Kun couldn’t get himself to smile. ‘’Were you really not listening to anything I just said? I’m hurt.’’

The container was so neatly packed, it seemed out of place for Ten’s personality, but he had made it, had brought it to Kun, and Kun had no idea what to do now.

He shouldn’t make it a big deal.

But it _was._

Because the implications of an omega cooking, bringing someone a homemade meal they had prepared themselves, the implications of what that meant, of what that was suggesting, it made his hands sweaty, his entire body shake.

His mind was screaming in fear at the thought, because Kun was broken, he had convinced himself something like that could never happen to someone like him.

But his heart was beating in excitement, warmth spreading through his body, engulfing him, making him giddy.

His mouth felt dry, so he cleared his throat.

‘’What’s the catch?’’ He tried not to let his inner turmoil show, squinting his eyes at Ten suspiciously when he took the container from his lap, Ten smirked. ‘’You are being too nice, there must be a catch.’’

The other shrugged, and his eyes made direct eye contact with Kun when he unknotted the fabric around the container, there was expectation shining on his eyes, and Kun’s heart did another leap, because Ten was just really, really pretty, with his recently long hair falling softly over his forehead, and those eyes staring straight at him, Kun had no idea what to do.

He liked Ten, of course.

But he had convinced himself Ten would never look his way.

Not like that.

‘’Is it poisoned?’’ He asked again, just to have something else to focus on that wasn’t his pathetic heart, getting excited over nothing.

Ten snorted. ‘’Most definitely,’’ He said so confidently, eyes trailing Kun’s every movement, making him a lot more nervous than before, Kun raised his eyebrows in mocked apprehension, and Ten’s smile just widened. ‘’But you are so nice you are going to have a bite anyways.’’

He sighed, because Ten was right, though Yangyang would argue Kun was just whipped.

‘’If I die, Dejun is taking my place, I trust no one else.’’ And he tried to sound stern, serious, as if those were really his last words, placing both hands on the lid, noting how Ten’s eyes followed the movement as well.

It was easier to pretend he didn’t know what it meant.

Ten gasped. ‘’Why Dejun?’’ He sounded indignant, a hand going to his chest adding to the dramatics. ‘’I could totally do a better job.’’

Kun laughed, only a little, before returning to that stern atmosphere.

‘’Oh, no,’’ Kun shook his head sternly. ‘’I’m not letting you in charge, you are a terrible influence.’’

Ten chuckled.

His fingers grasped the lid softly, opening it slowly, the smell of food overpowering for only a second the one of old books, and Kun held his breath, heart dropping to his stomach.

‘’You are saying that because you are jealous your pack likes me more.’’ And Kun really wanted to fire back at that, call Ten out for that lie, but he couldn’t, his eyes trailing inside every corner of the container, everything placed so neatly, from the meat at the side to the rice and stir-fried veggies.

Kun’s heart dropped lower, and lower.

It shouldn’t be a big deal.

It shouldn’t be.

But when omegas put so much effort into a meal, when they made sure everything was perfect, everything tasted great, it _became_ a big deal.

Kun should know, he was one.

And he knew what all of this was supposed to mean.

The gifts throughout the week, the rough fabric of the scarf he had received, a perfume that complemented Ten’s cinnamon too strongly, bags in which the gifts came thoughtfully scented before being given to him.

Courting, Ten had been courting.

Ten had been courting him like omegas courted betas.

Kun wasn’t one.

And that was the thing his heart was not ready to take.

Kun was broken.

Which had never been a problem before, but on times like those, when he knew he was going to get his heart torn apart the moment the truth was out, _because why would someone like Ten commit to love someone like him?_

In moments like those, when he knew he was, ultimately, going disappoint Ten by not being what he wanted, it became a major problem Kun couldn't help but hate.

He tried to look at Ten with what he hoped was teasing glare, but he couldn’t muster enough courage to do it.

‘’Ten,’’ He started carefully, and he waited for him to hum in acknowledgement before continuing. ‘’Is…is this a courting gift?’’ It came out softly, weak, even in complete silence it felt like Ten had to strain his ears to listen.

Ten’s cheeks flushed, but the eye-contact he was so adamant on not breaking stayed firm, instead he tried to go for a smirk Kun saw waver, go for a smile Kun could tell was nervous.

‘’It took your thick skull this long to realize?’’ He chuckled, leaning closer towards him, their knees touching, and Kun’s heart was not speeding up, it was not. ‘’You really are slow, Qian.’’

Kun swallowed the sudden lump.

Ten was being brave, even when Kun could tell he was nervous.

And maybe, maybe Kun could just—

‘’My apologies,’’ He tried to sound casual, rolling his eyes, but his voice was still coming out a little strained. ‘’It was hard to notice when you kept insulting me.’’

That seemed to boost Ten’s confidence, the smile on his face no longer unsure.

‘’Oh, please, I was not about to feed your ego,’’ He grinned. ‘’Don’t expect anything cheesy.’’

Maybe he could just stop, thinking that is.

He could allow his heart to guide him for the first time in his life.

But he had grown up believing something like that could never happen to someone like him, grown up hearing people telling him it wouldn’t, so even if he allowed his heart to take over, he’ll feel a lot better knowing Ten understood perfectly what he was getting himself into.

He could stop thinking, get his heart to guide him, but that meant asking first, making sure, it meant having to embrace the heartbreak.

‘’Ten,’’ He started, trying really hard not to look away, pushing the container of food aside carefully. ‘’Ten, I’m not—‘’ He huffed, nervous, but Ten didn’t interrupt, and after taking a deep breathe, he continued, not wanting to drag it off longer.‘’I’m an...omega, you know that, right?’’

Ten was staring, stunned, his cheeks were still flushed but his eyes were opened wide.

Surprised.

Taken off guard.

A sigh went past Kun lips, trying to muster enough strength to smile, because he knew what was coming next, the imminent heartbreak of never being what people expected, what people wanted him to be, it hurt, having to see that look of disappointment on Ten, but it had to happen.

Kun was broken.

He wasn’t enough for anybody.

The sound of the cars speeding outside the bookstore the only thing breaking the sudden silence, reminding him how loud that could be.

Ten blinked twice before whispering, really, really, softly. ‘’You are?’’ 

And Kun was hesitant, because he liked Ten, he liked Ten so much from the moment he saw him,he liked him and his easy banter, how nice it was talking to him, how he could feel like himself around him.

He had liked Ten for a while, from the moment the boy decided to stay with him through that one nervous breakdown Kun had over cold leftovers that week of finals, patting his back softly, making sure he didn’t choke.

He had liked Ten, because he didn’t feel broken, didn’t feel like acting a role.

But he nodded, biting his lip to hold the cry that wanted to get past his lips.

It was his fault anyways, not bringing his dynamic into conversation ever, letting Ten assume, it had been his fault.

‘’But you—’’ Ten blinked, _you don’t have a scent, you lead a pack._

It had been his fault, because Kun had been selfish, Kun had been greedy, wanting for the first time in his life for someone to see past all the things that were wrong with him.

There was a hint of an hysterical smile, nervous, gracing Ten’s lips. ‘’Are you joking?’’

Kun shook his head, closing his eyes momentarily to get a hold on his emotions.

He was born broken, an omega without a scent.

Without the appeal.

So those misunderstandings were common, people mistaking him for something he wasn’t.

And Kun was waiting, for Ten’s expression to drop, for his eyebrows to furrow, for his voice to come out apologetic, like many other people had done once they had found out.

He wasn’t expecting for Ten cover his face with his hands, wasn’t expecting him to groan softly, wasn’t expecting him to whisper a small _‘’Of course.’’_ into his palms that sounded wounded, defeated.

He wasn’t expecting for Ten to start ranting. ‘’Of course the first time I try this courting thing I do it wrong,’’ He groaned, mortified judging by the blush, but Kun’s heart was beating so fast, his chest feeling tight in anticipation for him to even react. ‘’Were you offended?’’ Ten asked quietly, peeking at Kun from between his fingers, and Kun was startled by the question, he sounded genuinely worried. ‘’By any of the gifts?’’

Oh.

Right.

He had received scarfs made with rough yarn, received _perfume_ , which should have been deemed offensive for any other omega, had received playful banter instead of handwritten letters that were so common when courting.

Omegas liked being given soft things, they liked fluffy blankets and chocolate, they liked being complimented, on their scents, on their skills, and by far Kun had received none of those things from Ten, not that he was complaining.

He had been happy receiving things that smelled so much like Ten.

He had been happy receiving the gifts because they came from Ten.

So he chuckled, a little airy. ‘’Not really, I—’’ He cleared his throat, trying to swallow down the nerves, the tension of waiting for Ten to drop it, to drop the act, to drop Kun’s heart he held unknowingly. ‘’I really...liked them.’’

But the bomb was not dropping.

Ten was not making excuses, was not telling him to not take the gifts seriously, was not telling him to forget and pretend nothing had happened.

He was smiling, careful, looking nervous and cautious, almost as if trying to pick the words correctly, hiding behind his palms still.

He looked hesitant, and it was so far from the reactions Kun usually received.

He looked as nervous as Kun felt.

With a deep sigh Ten straighten his posture, his face out of his palms, on full view.

‘’Good, good, I’ll—’’ And his eyebrows furrowed now, but it wasn’t in disappointment, it wasn’t a frown, he looked...determined. ‘’I’ll make sure to do it right from now on.’’

Kun stopped breathing.

_No way._

There was no way it was happening.

Things like that didn’t happen to someone like him.

Broken, never enough.

‘’You mean you want—You actually want to…’’ It was embarrassing, how his voice came out in a squeak, and Ten’s eyes softened at that, even when a small laugh left his lips.

Kun’s heart swelled when Ten moved closer.

‘’You are so dense,’’ Ten chuckled. ‘’I’ve been dropping hints for ages now.’’ And Kun allowed himself to smile a little, even when it felt unreal, when he was having trouble breathing. ‘’And don’t let this get to your head,’’ His cheeks were visibly red, and Kun wanted to know how was he managing to speak with so much confidence when he could see how his hands shook. ‘’But I like you, Kun, a lot.’’

Kun quietly gasped at that because no way.

_No way._

Upon hearing the sound Ten groaned, throwing his head back, a smile tugging his lips. ‘’This is embarrassing, I’m being cheesy.’’ He sighed, closing his eyes.‘’I told myself not to make it cheesy, it’s going to get to your big head.’’ And that came out as a whisper but he still heard.

A startled giggle went past Kun’s lips, high pitched it was so obvious he was nervous, but Ten smile widened, eyes opening in a squint to look at him, and Ten’s eyes on him just made that nervous giggle grow, because it felt unreal, it couldn’t be happening.

Kun was laughing not because he found it funny, he genuinely couldn’t stop, he was so nervous, so, so nervous, but so _happy._

A snort that Kun wasn’t expecting going past his lips without permission made Ten giggle with him, a little confused, but there was something in his eyes, endearment maybe, that made Kun a lot more of a nervous wreck, because that expression _god._

It was Kun’s turn, to hide his face on his palms, groaning in between giggles in attempts of calming himself down.

‘’Are you laughing at my confession?’’ Ten’s voice sounded breathless, and Kun grumbled embarrassed.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ He was breathing a little hard. ‘’It’s not that, I—’’ He swallowed. ‘’I’m just really, really happy.’’ The hands on his face pressed more, Kun trying not to let the nerves win over his rational thinking. ‘’And you make me really, really nervous.’’

Ten giggled, and Kun felt fingers touch his hands, softly prying them away from his face.

He didn’t complain, though he wanted to, because his heart wasn’t ready to see Ten’s face so close, cheeks flushed with that content expression.

That had never happened before, and Kun couldn’t believe it.

‘’Good,’’ He told Kun with a smile, lacing their fingers together, holding tight, then, after a small pause, Ten smirked. ‘’Are you not going to say it back?’’

And his heart was definitely about to burst out of his chest, he pursed his lips, pretending to think about it with a little hum.

‘’That would be cheesy, wouldn’t it?’’ He bit his lips to hide the smirk.

Ten chuckled, shaking his head.

Proceeding to stare, just look at Kun with bright eyes that seemed little thanks to his smiling, almost disappearing.

Kun couldn’t believe it, because something like this, it had never happen, Kun had convinced himself it could never happen, and despite how hard his heart was beating, despite how easy it was to get lost and let it guide him, years and years of berating himself for it, of repeating in his head he was destined to be lonely, made it really hard to fully belive it.

No matter how happy he was.

Ten moved closer, so, so close together.

And Kun saw an intention there, he panicked.

‘’Ten,’’ It came out soft, breathy, and he saw Ten’s eyes focus on his lips, which made it harder, to focus on the words trying to slip out, to focus on thinking. ‘’I’m boring.’’

His cheeks were flaming and he wanted to facepalm because his brain really stopped working.

Ten didn’t give him time to panic though, huffing fondly. ‘’I know.’’

‘’And I’m old,’’ Kun whispered again, but Ten didn’t move back, letting go of one of his hands and slowly placing it on his cheek, just humming in acknowledgement. ‘’I complain a lot.’’

Ten nodded, his fingers trading to Kun’s hair softly, running down his cheek towards his neck _oh so gently._

Kun swallowed, closing his eyes when he couldn’t bare it, being so close, Ten’s scent engulfing him, making him dizzy, the cinnamon so strong.

‘’I’m broken.’’ He choked out when he felt Ten’s breath close.

Ten sighed. ‘’And despite all that, unfortunately, I still like you,’’ The words tore a chuckle out of him. ‘’I must have really bad taste, huh? Tragic.’’

Kun felt Ten’s other hand sneak to his cheek as well, cradling his face carefully, and Kun couldn’t help but hold his breath, expecting, anticipating, Ten’s soft intakes of air getting closer and closer.

"I'm going to kiss you now." Ten whispered so close to his lips, and Kun shivered at the feeling.

"Why do you have to announce it like that?’’ Kun whined, getting even more embarrassed about everything, because Ten had sounded so serious.

"Consent is sexy, Kun."

Kun groaned, and he didn’t really think, when his hands went to the back of Ten’s head, bringing him close, he didn’t think when he pulled, when he move forwards, Ten meeting him in halfway.

He would be embarrassed to admit he had thought about it, about kissing Ten, a lot more than he should, and it was so different from everything Kun had ever imagined, the softness of it, the way Ten moved his lips so gently, careful, the way Ten tangled his fingers on the back of Kun’s hair, the way he rubbed his thumb on his cheeks, it had been different.

But Kun liked it so much.

Getting addicted to the taste already, addicted to the way the cinnamon smelled around him, powerful, sweet.

Kun was boring, born broken, hearing things his entire life about how he could never be enough, words harsh enough to convince himself nice things wouldn’t happen to him.

But with Ten moving his lips against his just as gracefully as he moved when he danced, it made Kun forget momentarily about everything.

He felt safe, engulfed in Ten’s scent, he felt loved, cradled in Ten’s touch.

When they parted, Ten rested his forehead against Kun’s, and he finally mustered the courage to open his eyes, looking at Ten, at his cheeks, his closed eyes, his parted and shiny lips.

He felt the urge to giggle, again, nervous.

He swallowed it down, though, when Ten threw a shy smile his way, rendering him speechless.

His hands were still tangled on Ten’s slight long hair, playing with the longer threads, and in a surge of confidence Kun allowed himself to rub his thumb gently against Ten’s neck, which prompted him to open his eyes.

Both of them held their breaths.

The way Ten was staring was so intense Kun had to look down, bowing his head slightly, and he heard Ten huff, he felt Ten’s hands move, he felt Ten shift, and he barely had time to process before he felt Ten’s lips on his forehead, soft and warm.

His cheeks were flaming, he knew that, and he choked on air, surprised.

Ten snorted, raising an eyebrow. ‘’Oh, you like when I’m cheesy?’’

Kun rolled his eyes, ignoring the smirk.

‘’You are insufferable.’’

Ten laughed.

Kun was born broken, pieces of imperfection never fitting properly anywhere.

But he found someone that was willing to love every single imperfect piece.

He found someone that made him feel like himself.

‘’Now eat, I worked really hard on it.’’ Ten told him petulantly, and Kun sighed, muttering under his breath about how dramatic he was.

And maybe there were things they needed to talk about, things that still went unsaid, but he was not planning on letting go anytime soon, and by the way Ten held his hand he figured he wasn’t going to either.

Kun was born broken, but with Ten it felt like his puzzle piece finally fitted somewhere.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, you made it to the end, thank you!  
> The lack of nipple piercings in this wasn't disappointing, was it? I saw you asking for that and I panicked because it was too late to change it, I was already committed lol, I'll made sure to add that next exchange if I ever get you again.  
> Anyway, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed that.  
> Take care of yourselves everybody!


End file.
